Barrel-cover fastener.



No. 779,134. PATENTED JAN. 3. 1905.

J. A. BEAMS. BARREL covzn FIASTENER.

APYLIbA'iION FILED JAN. 30 1904.

' UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT Orricn.

JOSEPH A. BEAMS, OF WEST NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO T. K. PARRISH, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

BARREL-COVER FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 779,134,, dated January 3, 1905.

I Application filed January 30, 1904. Serial No. 191,263.

To all whom, it flung concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. BEAMS. a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of West Norfolk, county of Norfolk, State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Barrel-(lover Fasteners, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

Referring to the drawings anneXed,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a barrel provided with my fastener; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section through the connecting device; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 4:,a detail horizontal section showing the manner in which the tightening-bail is swung over; Fig. 5, a detail perspective view of the claw end of the operating-tool; and Fig. 6, a detail vertical section through the upper part of a barrel, showing the manner in which my fastener is applied.

The object of this invention is to. provide a strong and easily-adjusted and readily-removable hoop for fastening a burlap or other fabric cover on truck or other barrels. The present method of fastening these covers is to provide the barrel with a permanent wooden hoop at its upper end flush with the top of the staves. The burlap cover is placed over the barrel and then another wooden hoop is shoved down over the burlap and nailed with six or seven nails to the first hoop on the barrel. This method requires considerable time, and as the barrels are not all exactly the same size it requires a large number of differentsized outside hoops and besides the nails often go through the hoops and staves and injure the contents of the barrel. When the barrel reaches the large market, the buyers inspect the contents, and in order to do this it is necessary to remove the nails, which generally breaks the hoop and besides requires considerable time and is therefore expensive. The present invention enables the farmer or other packer to quickly adjust the burlap to any size barrel and make it tight and secure, it being placed just under the permanent wooden hoop, that is a permanent part of the barrel.

The device consists, preferably, of a strand of wire a, provided at one end with a loop (1 and connected by a loop 0 at its other end to a bail f, which is pivotally connected to one end of a plate or bar I), this bar being pro vided with side flanges which are cut out to form hook-like teeth 0 into which the loop (Z engages. The loop (Z at its forward end is widened or enlarged, as shown at cl, so that main or shank part of the loop may lie in the channel-bar 6, while the widened part (Z' loops over the pair of opposite teeth 0. The loop 0 at the other end of the wire engages in a notch g in the free end of the bail, and the ends h of the bail have pivotal hearings in the side flanges of the bar 6, these ends it projecting outward through the flanges from the inside, in order that the bail'may lie between the flanges and be protected thereby. This hoop or tie is placed around the barrel, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6that is, so that it shall lie just under the permanent hoop on the barrel and be protected thereby. In fasteningit it is first drawn as tight as is convenient with the hands and the loop (Z hooked over a pair of the hooks 0, the bail f having been first swung out, as shown in Fig. 4:. Then by means of a suitable tool the bail f is swung forward beyond the center to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4L, whereupon the strain on the band will securely hold itin place against the bar 6 and within the channel-iron. Thus throwing over the bail after the band has been tightened as much as possible with the hands has been found in practice suflicient to tightly secure the hoop or tie in place.

Any suitable device may be employed to swing over the bail; but I prefer the one shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which consists of a lever provided at one end with a head, which is notched transversely to form a pair of claw-s 7c, the latter being considerably longer than the former and the shorter claw being slotted at Z. This device is applied, as shown in Fig. 4, to tighten the hoop; but in removing or loosening the hoop the tool is applied to the bail by forcing its longer claw under the forward end of the bail and prying it outward until it swings over the center and is then free to be drawn over backward by the tension on the hoop.

It will be observed that the hoop or tie is protected by being placed directly under the permanent hoop on the barrel and also that the loop d and the bail f are protected by being housed in the channel-iron. It will also be observed that the contents of the barrel may be readily inspected Without injuring the device in the least, and the barrel may be read- 11y closed after inspection.

A feature of importance lies in not only permanently pivoting the bail within the flanges, but also in making it in such a length that when fastened it lies wholly Within the channel-iron, thereby being effectually protected against accidental unfastening. This is a feature of importance, in view of the fact that packages of this sort necessarily receive very rough handling while in transit. Another feature lies in so constructing the loop d that it hes practically its full length between the flanges of the channel-iron, the only parts that he outside of the channel-iron being thesmall portions of the widened part cl of the loop wl'nch engage out over the teeth formed in the flanges.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A tie or hoop consisting of a flexible band or wire provided at one end with a loop, a bail connected pivotally to the other end of the band, a channel-bar having side flanges in which the ends of said bail are permanently pivoted, the bail being of such length as to terminate short of the end of the bar or plate when in its locked position, said side flanges being provided with a series of books or teeth in which said loop adjustably engages, said series of hooks or teeth extending from the end of the channel-bar to near the pivots of the bail.

2. A barrel hoop or tie consisting of a flexible wire having a loop d formed at one end, said loop being widened at its forward end, a channel-iron provided with a series of teeth in its flanges, said loop being adapted to'lie within said channel-iron throughout the greater portion of its length and have its widened forward part engage out .over the teeth ofthe flanges thereof, a bail pivoted between the flanges of said channel-iron at one end thereof and adapted to lie entirely therebetween its full length when in its locked position,this bail being pivotally connected to the other end of the wire tie, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses,

this th day of January, 1904.

JOSEPH A. BEAMS. Witnesses:

G. E. PoINDEX'rER, L. A. DOUGHERTY. 

